Desert Rose
by StarrFlower
Summary: The story of a girl's adventures in Persia with everyones' favorite Prince. Bis/OC/Dastan, Dastan/Tamina. Rated M for sexual content...
1. Nightmares

**A/N: Hey guys! I saw this movie the other day and I thought that Bis was just adorable so he needs a girl. Anyways, here is Chapter 1, tell me what you guys think in your reviews! **

___Reaching my hands out in front of me, I stumbled through the fog. Just like every other time, there was a light in front of me coming through the haze. I tried to head towards it, but the light kept getting further and further away. Crying out to the darkness, I could hear nothing. _

_ It suddenly became frigidly cold; I could see my breath in front of me. I hugged my arms to my chest, willing my body to get warmer. A shadow passed in front of me, sending even more chills up my spine. A hissing sounded in my ears. Slowly, I turned, and there he was; his face malformed; a malicious grin on his face; his icy, blue eyes boring into my skull. Screaming wildly, I fled from his frigid stare. _

_ I dared not even turn as I heard the slithering and hissing of hundreds of snakes. Suddenly, they were all around me, wrapping around my legs and tripping my feet out from under me. As I lay on the ground, writhing helplessly, his face appeared above me again. _

_ His poisonous grin spread across his face and a forked tongue flickered from behind his teeth. "You thought you could hide from us," he hissed, "but I told you I'd find you one day." I squeezed my eyes shut, willing it all away. "There is nowhere you can run…nowhere you can hide." _

_ One of the many snakes wound its way up around my arms. I opened my eyes and gazed into its red ones before it drew back and…_

I awoke with a start, kicking away my threadbare blanket as I jerked into a sitting position. As my breathing finally calmed, I looked around the darkened streets. Everything was quiet; only the sounds of the local brothels could be heard floating through the night air. I checked my body for any snakes, and then, finding my results satisfactory, crawled back under the blanket in my dusty corner of a back alley.

I couldn't sleep, so I ended up staring at the stars for hours and hours. That image of his hideous face was forever etched into my memory; I couldn't even escape it in my dreams.

The nightmares have been going on regularly for the past seven years—ever since I ran away from him. He said he'd always find me, and he was right. He'd found me and infiltrated the innermost sanctuary of my mind.

I looked up and noticed the pink tinge of dawn in the sky. Throwing the blanket aside, I found my way up onto the rooftops of the city. Quietly, I made my way to the outer wall. It was completely barren of any soldiers, which was strange, but I didn't mind; I preferred my solitude.

Just as the first rays of the sun came up over the horizon, I felt a hand on my shoulder. At first, I feared it was the man from my dreams, but breathed a sigh of relief when it turned out to be my best friend, Bis. He smiled warmly, his chocolate brown eyes reflecting the light of the sun.

"I thought I might find you here," he said. I smiled back at him and then fixed my gaze back on the rising orb in the sky. "You are too predictable," he continued.

"As are you," I countered. "I believe, in the past six years since we started coming here, discounting those times you weren't in the city, you've only missed one morning." He barked a short laugh.

"That's only because Prince Dastan had me out running errands all night and I overslept," he said defensively. "It doesn't really count." I snorted at that; I knew very well that Bis and Dastan had been drinking that night—I'd found the two of them sleeping off the drink with the pigs.

"Of course," I mumbled.

"What is that supposed to mean?" he asked suspiciously.

"My, someone's defensive this morning," I said playfully, punching him lightly on the arm.

"Sorry," he said, "I'm just a little on edge, that's all. The armies are shipping out to the sacred city of Alamut soon." I eyed him with a confused look on my face.

"Why are you on edge? You've never been nervous about a battle before," I said. Bis was one of the bravest men I knew, and he was also Prince Dastan's right-hand man. So why is he so nervous?

"First of all, we're not going there to fight. We're just going to check on things," he said.

"Then why are you so nervous? You're not making any sense, Bis," I said exasperatedly.

"I just—" he started, "I feel like I might not come back from Alamut." I stared at him in disbelief.

"What do you mean? It's just a check-up," I said. I could hear my voice becoming distressed, but I didn't really care right now.

"I can't explain it. I've just got a bad feeling about this, that's all," he said distractedly.

"Then don't go," I said, turning towards him. Slowly, I put my hands on his shoulders and turned him to face me.

"You know I can't do that," he said sadly.

"Why? Because you're the prince's dog?" I spat. I was probably being too harsh, but I didn't care. Bis was my best friend, and I'd be devastated if anything ever happened to him. If he was worried, then he shouldn't go on this mission.

"It's not like that, Arisa! Dastan is my friend!" he replied. "I go because it is my duty to the king." I gazed into his eyes and knew that it would be futile to try and get him to change his mind. So, I changed my tactics.

"Fine," I countered, "then I'm coming with you." Bis's eyes widened slightly.

"Arisa, no. You can't come," Bis said, shaking his head vehemently.

"And why not?" I replied. "You know that I'm capable; you taught me yourself. And besides, you said yourself that it's not a battle."

"If the king or one of the princes finds out that I've smuggled you into the ranks it'll mean both our heads," he hissed.

"Then I'll dress as a man. I've done it before!" I said. "If you're worried about something then I want to be there and make sure you're all right." Bis rolled his eyes and clenched his jaw, looking away for the longest time. He heaved a sigh and then gazed back into my eyes.

"There's no arguing with you, is there?" he said, putting his hands on either side of my face. I shook my head and smiled playfully. "Fine, you can come."

"I knew you'd come around," I laughed. He smiled widely.

Suddenly, Bis swooped down swiftly and planted a soft kiss on my cheek. It was like a gesture expected from a brother, except his lips lingered on my face much longer than any brother's would. I felt the blood rush to my cheeks and I involuntarily leaned forward. Bis finally pulled away and we just stared at each other for a moment. He almost looked embarrassed, like he wasn't expecting to do what he just did.

"Uh, you should come with me to meet Prince Dastan. I think he can help us smuggle you in," he finally said, his tone sounding a little awkward. I nodded, dumbfounded, finding that I didn't have the words to say. Bis grabbed my hand and led me away from the wall.

**Ok everybody! Please review and tell me what you think. Thanks for reading! **


	2. Meeting My Destiny

**A/N:Hey everybody! Thanks for the review! So here we go with Chapter 2. Hope you enjoy! Please, please, please review and tell me what you think. **

Bis checked around the corner before hustling me into the encampment. I had a hood pulled over my face to hide my flowing, chocolate brown tresses in order to make myself look more like a man. The group of men who followed Prince Dastan was encamped just outside of the palace walls. There was a great ruckus going on as we entered. All the men were gathered around one spot, yelling and cheering wildly.

"What's going on?" I asked, unconsciously drawing closer to Bis. He laughed lightly at me.

"Don't be afraid, Arisa, it's just a little bit of friendly rough-and-tumble, that's all," he said. He must have seen the confused look on my face for he chuckled again. "You'll see," he said, putting a protective hand on the small of my back, sending little chills up and down my spine. What is this strange sensation I'm feeling?

We cut through the crowd to the front of the group where all the excitement was centered. On the ground before me were two grown men, both very much shirtless, grappling with each other like children. As they wrestled in the dirt, Bis joined in on the cheering. Once there was finally a break in the action, he steeped in and spoke with one of the men for a moment. They exchanged nods and then the stranger left the circle while Bis came back over to me.

"Come on," he whispered in my ear, his warm breath tickling my skin, "we'll meet the prince in his chambers." I followed beside Bis closely as we made our way through the encampment full of uncouth and rowdy men. It was hard to imagine Bis living in this kind of environment. But, then again…maybe it wasn't so hard. As soon as I'd seen him step into the group of men he spent most of his time with, I could see his eyes light up and sparkle with something I'd never seen before. I kind of liked this new, more rambunctious side of Bis. It was the most alive I'd ever seen him.

We traveled through various courtyards and corridors until we came to a grand suite. Bis's hand was constant on the small of my back, making me feel warm and protected. Suddenly, a man emerged from an adjoining room, drying off his hair and body with a towel. At first, I could only look at his exposed chest, but when I finally looked at his face, he turned out to be the stranger who we'd seen fighting earlier. I found him to be even more attractive once he'd bathed. So this is Prince Dastan.

I was glad that my hood covered my face so that the prince wouldn't see my ferocious blush. "Hello, Bis," Dastan said, nodding at the man beside me. Bis nodded back and then a few moments of awkward silence ensued.

"Well," Dastan said, holding out his hands, "take off your hood, man; let me see your face." My heart skipped a couple of beats and I looked to Bis for reassurance. He nodded, so, I slowly removed my hood from my face, letting my ridiculously long hair fall. Prince Dastan's eyes widened slightly as he looked me up and down.

"Ah, I see the proper expression would have been 'woman'," he said, quickly grabbing a plain linen shirt and pulling it over his head. Well, at least he had some sense of decorum once he realized that I was of the "fairer" sex. He looked me up and down once again, studying me.

"Uh, she would like to join us on our journey to Alamut," Bis finally said, breaking the silence and awkward moment. Dastan nodded slowly, still studying me.

"Why, exactly?" he asked, finally looking into my eyes. I noticed that his were a deep blue color and I had to remember to breathe.

Bis laughed sharply. "She's worried about me," he said.

"Well," Dastan said, chuckling, "who am I to separate a pair of young lovers?" That caused the blood to rush to my face even more. I shook my head vehemently at him.

"Oh no, it's not like that," I explained quickly. "Bis and I have been friends, nothing more, since we were but teens…Your Highness."

"Ah, so the lady speaks," Dastan said, his gaze flicking back to me with a smirk. "And I must say, the sound of your voice is quite pleasing." I silently cursed my tendency to blush and then clamped my mouth shut. Dastan laughed at that and then leaned nonchalantly on the post of his bed. He crossed his arms and smirked. "Can you handle a sword, Lady?" he asked. I nodded slowly.

"I taught her myself," Bis interjected, "and I must say, she's grown to be better than me."

"That is quite an achievement," Dastan said appreciatively. He pondered silently to himself for a moment. "Very well," he finally said, "I'll allow it. I'm afraid you'll have to keep up the pretense of being a man when you're around the soldiers, but you have nothing to hide around me." I nodded and smiled thankfully. "Do you live nearby?" he asked. I hesitated to answer.

"No, Your Highness. I have nowhere to live," I replied, averting my eyes downward.

"You live on the streets?" he asked, his voice full of concern as he leaned forward. I nodded slowly, still refusing to look into his face, for I was too ashamed of my own inferiority. "Well, that won't do. There's a smaller room adjoining my chambers where you won't be bothered. You can stay there until the armies ship out in three days." I was so stunned that I didn't even know what to say.

"Uh…Thank you, Your Highness," I finally stuttered out. "I don't know what else to say."

"You don't have to say anything," he said, coming over and taking me by the shoulder. I suddenly became very aware of my dirty and bedraggled appearance and I felt ashamed. "I know from experience what it is like to live on the streets. And please, my name is Dastan. You can dispense with the 'Your Highness'." I smiled and bowed my head as he led me to the "small" room he'd spoken of. It was by no means small and it was very grand. I could hardly contain my joy and excitement.

"Thank you again, Your…Dastan," I said awkwardly, trying out the name on my tongue. I liked the way it felt to say his name.

"You're very welcome," he said, an adorable half-smile spreading across his already handsome face. "And please, if there's anything that you need, don't hesitate to ask." I smiled at him thankfully.

"I would very much like a bath," I said shyly, blushing again for some unknown reason.

"Of course," he said. "I'll have the servants prepare one for you and then fetch you. If you like, I'll have them get you some new clothes for dinner, too."

"Dinner?" I asked, confused.

"Of course," he said, smirking again at my confusion. "You'll be dining with Bis and I tonight." I couldn't help but smile at that. The thought that everything in my life had utterly changed so quickly brought such joy to my heart that it was impossible _not_ to smile.

With that, Dastan left; I could see Bis disappearing as well, and unreadable expression on his face. Maybe…anger?

It was the first time I'd had a bath in years. Although it was a little disconcerting to have servants there helping me bathe, I got used to it after a while. It felt so good to have my hair clean. The hours ticked away, as did the heat of the water. Finally, I got out and slipped into a white robe of pure silk. I put a soft, cotton towel on my head to help dry the volumes of wet hair. Dinner was still hours away, but it would take at least that long for my hair to dry. But at least I had enough time for the servants to help me get ready.

The servant girls grabbed their brushes and various instruments for applying make-up and led me out onto a balcony that was attached to my room.

"Your hair will dry faster if you sit in the sun," one of the girls explained. I merely smiled and nodded at her, unsure of how to address servants. I was supposed to be a noble lady of high standing visiting the royal city of Nasaf, but really, I was no better than the servants themselves.

The two servant girls worked relentlessly on detangling my voluminous waves of hair. Once they'd brushed out all the tangles, they worked on putting various perfumes in it to make it smell good. I couldn't help but think that I'd never smelled this good in my entire life. Once they'd sufficiently brushed my hair, they moved onto my face.

The two girls first scrubbed my face clean—apparently, they hadn't gotten all the grime off in the bathtub. After they'd washed my face they put some nice smelling lotion on my face and neck. They let it dry, and then powdered my face. "To even out your complexion," the same servant explained. Obviously, she could tell that I wasn't used to this kind of treatment, but the other seemed clueless.

After that, the smart girl applied black eyeliner to my eyes, and then fanned out my long eyelashes with a tiny brush. When that was done, she painted my full lips a light pink color. She smiled and then informed me I'd have to lie in the sun a while longer so my hair would dry completely. Then, the two of them left me lying on my comfortable lounge chair, alone.

Being left to myself gave me a chance to absorb everything that had happened to me. My life had changed so quickly and completely that it was hard to comprehend everything. I didn't expect things to go on like this forever, obviously, but I would enjoy it while I could. Being waited on hand and foot was very nice.

Once my hair was thoroughly dried, the servants came back and washed my hands and nails, applying a coat of clear polish when there were clean. After that, they laced hundreds of tiny pearls, ribbons, and flowers throughout my hair. Then, it was time for clothes.

First, I slipped into a pair of pants that ballooned outward and then cinched back in at the ankles. Next, I was put in a top made of thin material that only reached down barely above my naval. There were little sequins and embellishments over my chest and the top was low cut. A jacket with full-length sleeves was put on over the top; it reached down further than the top, but a small section of my torso was still exposed. That part made me feel a little uncomfortable (though I do have to admit that it was a million times more comfortable than my tough leather vest I always wore under my clothes to conceal my weapons), especially after I remembered that I'd be dining with two men, one of whom I though was extremely handsome. Well…maybe I thought Bis was handsome too…I'd never really thought about it before. Bis was my best friend in the world…perhaps he _was _handsome…I've always adored his eyes…and his smile…and the way he smelled…and…

**Ok, please tell me what you thought in your reviews! Hope you enjoyed it! Thanks for reading everybody! **


	3. The Prince Makes His Move

**A/N: Hey everybody! Sorry this chapter took so long to get up but I've been on vacation for a while and this was the first opportunity I got to update, so here goes! **

Slowly, I breathed in and out, trying to calm my nerves. I stared at myself in the full-length mirror for the longest time, looking at the stranger that was reflected there. I didn't recognize this beautiful woman standing before me. She was a far cry from who I was only seven years ago.

"My lady," the intelligent servant said, coming up behind me and placing a comforting hand on my shoulder, "you look stunning. Please come with me. The prince is waiting." I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

"Yes, of course," I said, putting on a smile to hide my fear. She smiled reassuringly and then led me out of my room. We passed through the same room where I'd met Dastan earlier and then through a candlelit hallway. Finally, the servant girl stopped in an open doorway and gestured for me to enter. I gave her a thankful nod and then, holding my head high and straightening my back, I entered the dining room, the gold and silver bangles on my arms jingling.

At first, I could only admire the décor of the room. All along the western wall were open archways that led onto a balcony. I could see the twinkling stars and the lights of the city beyond the drawn back, midnight blue curtains. Little torches flickered in their sconces all along the walls. In the middle of the room was a long table covered in food. That's when I noticed that both Dastan and Bis were standing, staring at me, wide-eyed. Actually, Bis's mouth was hanging wide open and his eyes looked like they were about to pop out of his head. What? Do I have a bug on my face or something?

"Arisa!" he exclaimed, still staring at me.

"What?" I snapped, feeling around my head and face to see if there was in fact a bug on me.

"You look…"

"…beautiful," Dastan finished, barely whispering the word. I stared at him for what felt like hours before I finally made my way over to the table.

"Thank you," I breathed as I sat down to Dastan's left. Bis sat directly across from me, his gaze relentless. I could only stare back at him. After a while, a slight smirk slowly spread across face. "What's so funny?" I asked heatedly.

"It's nothing," he said, shaking his head. "I just can't help but think that I've never seen you so free of dirt in the six years that we've known each other." I wanted to throw something at him, and the only thing close enough was a grape. It hit him square in the forehead. He looked stunned for a moment, but then he just shook it off and went back to smirking at me.

"I don't believe I ever caught you name," the prince said, popping a couple grapes into his mouth amusedly. I cast a sideways glance at him before answering.

"Arisa," I simply said.

"Hmm," Dastan replied. "Well Arisa, you have very fine aim." He chuckled lightly and I couldn't help but smile when I saw the look of indignation on Bis's face. "So tell me Arisa, what is you story?" I merely stared at my plate for a moment, deciding what I should and shouldn't tell them. Bis knew a little of my history, but by no means did he know the whole story.

"Well, there's not really much to tell," I started out, mock shyness coloring my voice.

"Just start at the beginning," Dastan pushed. "Who are your parents?"

"I don't know," I said bluntly. Well, at least that part of the story was true. "I was raised by an older boy and his gang of street rats. We were working the market one day when we got separated by the palace guards. I never was able to find them again. From then on, I had to fend for myself. I was only ten years old at the time." Here's where I skipped a big part of my slightly-less-than-reputable history. "Five years late, Bis found me wallowing in mud and self-pity. I'll never know what he saw in me, but I'm glad he saw _something. _Without him, I probably would be dead." I gave Bis my sincerest look of thanks and he smiled.

"What _did _you see, Bis?" Dastan asked, a hint of intrigue and mischief in his voice.

Bis never looked away from me as he answered. "I saw a girl who needed help, and a friend. I saw all of the cruelties of this world, and I wanted to mend them," he said. There was certain tenderness in his voice that I'd never heard before. Everything was quiet at the table for a long time, but it wasn't awkward; we were all simply resigned to stay with our own thoughts.

"So," Dastan finally said, breaking the silence, "what did you do in those five years before Bis found you?" Dammit…I was hoping he wouldn't bring this up; I wasn't very good at lying under pressure.

"Well," I started out, keeping my eyes on the food on my plate, "I did what any other street rat did: I stole to stay alive. I really didn't have a choice."

"I know how that feels," Dastan muttered. It was well known that the prince had once been just like me; a street rat, and it made me respect him a little more. Finally, I gained the courage to look at him and found he was studying me again. His gaze was a little disconcerting, but I wouldn't back down and look away. Bis awkwardly cleared his throat and we were forced to break eye contact for propriety's sake.

The food was, without a doubt, the most delicious I'd ever had. I didn't really recognize most of it, but I tried almost all of it. But really, what did I expect? I'm sitting at the table of a prince. No stolen loaves of bread or pilfered apples to be found here.

Luckily, the conversation rarely turned back to the subject of my past throughout the dinner. Instead, Bis and Dastan mostly talked about different fighting tactics while I sat in silence and listened, editing their tactics in my head. Really, these men have no idea how to fight.

"So, Arisa," Dastan asked, "who taught you to use the sword you claim to be able to handle?" Dammit…What do I do? There was no way I could tell hi the truth without fear of being thrown in prison. I started to panic when I didn't know what to say.

"I did," Bis said. I breathed a quiet sigh of relief. It kind of irked me that Bis believed he'd taught me _everything, _but I needed that answer right now. "But, as I said before, the student quickly became the master." I smirked at him but said no more on the subject, hoping it would pass by without more questions.

When dinner was finally over, I hurried back to my room after I'd said my goodnights. Slowly, I exhaled and tried to relax my stiff muscles. In an effort to calm down, I walked out onto my balcony and stared out over the city. I'd never been looking out from the palace at the city, only staring up from the city at the palace. It was a strange experience.

Despite all the comfort and luxury that surrounded me, this palace was not a safe place to be. "What the hell have I gotten myself into?" I whispered to myself, leaning heavily on the railing.

"I don't know. You tell me," a man's voice said from behind me. I whirled around, breathing heavily. Dastan stood in the archway, arms crossed and a smirk donned on his face.

"Dastan!" I breathed, putting on a fake smile. "You frightened me." He uncrossed his arms and strode cockily towards me.

"I'm sorry I scared you," he said, taking a place at the railing besides me.

"It's all right," I said quietly. A few moments of awkward silence passed before spoke again.

"Arisa," he whispered. The way he said my name made shivers go up and down my spine. "I haven't know you for very long, but I've always been good at reading people. I can see that you and Bis are the best of friends, but I can also see that you're holding something back from him." I momentarily couldn't breathe. So, the Prince of Persia had discovered I have a secret… "I came here to encourage you to tell him, whatever it is."

"I can't do that," I whispered, staring into the night.

"Why not?" he asked, putting a hand on my cheek and turning my face towards him. "Can it possibly be so bad?"

"You don't understand, Dastan," I said. "He can't know…No one can know." His eyes were sparkling intensely as he looked at me.

"A time will come, Arisa, when you'll have to tell someone," he said. "You can't keep secrets inside, or they'll tear you apart from the inside out." There was really nothing I could say to that. And that was when I realized how close Dastan was standing to me.

I'm not sure what Dastan was thinking, but he suddenly swooped down and pressed his lips against mine. A wave of heat pulsed over my body and I couldn't help it when I put one hand on his neck and the other intertwined in his hair. He pulled me in closer, placing his hands on my hips. Dastan leaned into the kiss; I could feel him putting on more pressure.

Something, perhaps passion, took over my senses and I couldn't control myself. I allowed his tongue to pass between my lips, when normally I would never have done that. But something about Dastan was different. There was a earnest sincerity in the way that he kissed me. His hands traced their way up and down my body and I couldn't help it when I pressed my body into his. Things almost went even further when reality hit me like a ton of bricks. I pulled away, gasping for air, and turned away from him.

"Arisa, I'm so sorry. I just—" I cut him off quickly.

"It's fine. Please, just leave." I didn't even hear him go. Dastan was gone, but my passion and desire hadn't subsided. What the hell have I gotten myself into?

**Ok, please review guys and tell me what you think! Thanks so much for reading. **


	4. Confessions Of A Persian Warrior

**A/N: Hi there everyone! So, things are moving along quite nicely with this fic and I'm excited about things to come in the future. Just so you know, cuz there have been questions, Arisa's secret will NOT be revealed until a few chapters into the future. OK? Good…Anyways, this is a warning for this chapter: Things will get GRAPHIC sexually. So, if you don't like that kind of stuff, then don't read past the end of Bis and Arisa's second conversation. That being said, here we go with chapter 4! **

I awoke to a slow, simmering heat seeping throughout my room. The sun hadn't risen yet, but I could tell that the heat would be sweltering today. Slowly, I lifted myself up off the already-sticky sheets and swung my legs onto the floor. Running a small brush though my impossibly long hair, I stepped out onto the balcony. This was quickly becoming my favorite spot of the palace.

The sun was just peeking over the horizon and I felt a pang of longing when I realized Bis wasn't standing next to me. That's when I felt a presence behind me. I was too afraid to turn around and see who it was; I was afraid it might be Dastan.

"It's different, isn't it? Watching the sunrise form here?" Bis asked. I breathed a sigh of relief that it was him. I didn't think I could face Dastan right now after what happened last night.

"Yes, it is," I replied. "Everything seems, different from way up here in the golden palace."

"Dastan likes you," Bis said suddenly. Well, that was random. Slowly, I looked at him, but he just kept staring forward. "I could tell form the way he looked at you last night. And then he told me how much he admired you."

"Bis…" I started.

"All I'm saying is that, if you wanted to," he said, cutting me off, "you could have a good life here." I couldn't help myself when I glared at him.

"What are you trying to say, Bis?" I growled. "That I _marry _Dastan?"

"No. You wouldn't be able to; you're not a princess. But you could…"

"Oh! I see what you're saying! You think I should become his mistress!" I snapped angrily. "How can you even say that?"

"It didn't seem like you had any qualms about the thought when you were groping each other last night!" he shot back angrily, his head snapping towards me and his chocolate eyes flashing dangerously. "I saw you two!"

I found that I had nothing to say. He wouldn't listen even if I did say something. But he needed to hear this.

"Bis," I said, drawing out the word slowly, "I know that there's nothing I can say that you'll listen to." He scoffed his agreement. "But you need to know something: Dastan kissed _me. _He came to _me _last night."

"But you still kissed him back," Bis growled.

"What does it matter? It's not like you and I are together!" I screamed. That shut him up real quick. After a while, he finally spoke.

"You're right," he said slowly. Something in his voice sounded almost dead. "We're not together. You are perfectly entitled to kiss whomever you want to." With that, he turned and calmly walked away.

The servants had just finished helping me dress when Dastan appeared in the doorway. A chill went through the air. It was obvious that the servants could feel it because they quickly left, leaving me alone with Dastan.

"Hello," he said quietly.

"Hello," I replied. Unlike the night before, things felt a little bit awkward.

"I, uh, came to apologize for what happened last night," e said slowly.

"It's all right," I said quickly. "Please, I'd really rather not talk about that right now."

He bowed his head and I could see a slight smile on his face. "Of course," he said. "Well, with that put behind us, I'll ask the other thing I came to say."

"And that would be?" I asked, cocking an eyebrow.

With another smirk, he said, "Would you mind if I gave you a taste of _my _world today?" I eyed him carefully and decided that his intentions were honorable.

"I would like that very much," I said, extending my hand towards him like a true noblewoman. He took it carefully and kissed the top of my hand.

"As you wish, my lady," he whispered, sending chills all over my body. For the second time since I'd known him, I was overcome with an unquenchable desire to drag him down onto my bed and…Well, you can imagine the rest for yourself. Maybe Bis's idea wasn't _so _bad…

Dastan led me all throughout the palace, showing me all types of paintings, tapestries, and art pieces. The tapestries showed every major event of Persian history; I couldn't help but wonder if I had any place in Persian history, or in it's future.

After he'd shown me through the halls, Dastan took me out into the garden. That was when I realized what a love for nature and flowers I truly had. I saw wonders I'd never experienced before, and it was something I'll never forget.

We ate lunch together in the garden, and talked of everything across the spectrum. I was surprised to find how much we truly had in common. That same desire came back a couple more times throughout the day, and I found it harder and harder to control every time.

The day sped by quickly and soon it was dinnertime again. Bis was very quiet, and his gaze kept flicking between Dastan and me. It was quickly starting to annoy. It didn't take a genius to see that Bis was jealous, but he had nothing to be jealous about! Sure, I had a strong desire for Dastan…a _very _strong desire…but it was nothing akin to love.

Dinner passed into the night and we once again exchanged goodnights. I changed into a thin chiffon robe, brushed out my hair, and then went to the balcony. The day had cooled off with the disappearing of the sun, and the cool night breeze lifted the edges of my robe. It felt so good.

"Arisa, we need to talk," Bis said from behind me. I whirled around, startled by hi sudden appearance. Slowly, he came and stood by me. I noticed that a large portion of my thigh was exposed by the large slit in my robe. I felt slightly self-conscious, but, for some reason, I didn't move to cover myself.

"What is it, Bis?" I asked. There was no venom in my words; there wasn't any emotion at all, really.

"We've known each other for a long time," he said quietly. "We've been through a lot together."

"I know," I said. He looked at me, the stars shining reflectively in his dark, intense eyes.

"But I see now that it didn't mean the same thing to you that it did to me." He said, moving a step closer to where I was leaning my back against the railing. By now, I knew what he was getting at, but I was still trying to figure out how I felt about it.

"What does it mean to you?" I asked quietly, scooting a little closer to him.

"It means everything to me, Arisa," he said. "But I can see that Dastan makes you happy, so I won't get in the between you tow. But I want you to know something before you live happily ever after: I love you, Arisa. I've loved you ever since the day that we met. You're everything to me and I'll never forget how you've changed my life. You—"

I cut him off abruptly, moving forward, wrapping my arms around his neck, and pressing my lips roughly against his. At first, he seemed too stunned to move, but he eventually put one hand on the back of my head while the other pulled my hips closer to his body. I pulled away momentarily to look at him, knowing full well what I was going to do.

"Did anyone ever tell you that you talk too much?" I asked, gaining a smile from him. "I love _you_, Bis." I'd never realized how true those words were until I'd said them.

Bis pulled me back into the kiss roughly, but I really didn't care. It just felt so good to finally admit my feelings after so long. I allowed his tongue to enter my mouth as I lifted my leg and started to wrap it around his hips. With his hand, he grabbed hold of my thigh and lifted it up higher. He ran his hand up and down my thigh, his reach getting further up my leg with each passage. When I felt the time was right, I allowed him to lift my other leg so that he was holding me straddled around his waist.

He began to walk into the bedroom and then laid me down on the bed. He removed his tunic and I couldn't help but notice how attractive his body was. His breeches disappeared next, and then he made his way onto the bed, crawling on top of me. I pulled his face onto mind and kissed him passionately.

His hand made its way up my thigh again, trailing further upward, and pushed my robe aside. He rubbed his hand on my hip and then up my torso. Bis pulled out of the kiss and used both hands to undo the tie on my robe. He pulled the robe back, exposing my breasts, and threw it off to the side. We were both completely naked now, and the heat pulsating off our bodies was getting more intense.

Bis began to kiss my neck, his kisses eventually trailing down to my breasts. The passion was growing inside me to the point where I could hardly contain it. He suddenly used his knee to spread my legs apart. This is it.

He lowered himself down and I inhaled sharply at the sudden contact. We both did, actually, but that didn't stop him. I felt him enter me and a wave of passion, pain, and pleasure swept over me all at once. It hurt just a little at first, but that quickly subsided into pleasure. This wasn't my first time; that momentous occasion belonged to another man from my dark past—a man who, at the time, I thought I loved—but this was somehow different.

My first time had been conducted in a fit of crazy passion, but with Bis, it felt more real; like it actually meant something.

It took Bis a little bit to find a proper rhythm, but when he did, he started to gain confidence. He began pushing harder and going deeper. I couldn't help it but I started to moan in an animalistic way. My moans only seemed to spur him on. He moved even faster, in and out.

Sweat began to drip from both of our bodies, causing a slapping sound as we came together. After a while, Bis let me on top. He kept his hands on my hips as I straddled him. As I began to move up and down, his grip on my hip tightened, helping me along the way. He moved me faster and faster until he flipped my back over to where I was on the bottom again.

He put his hand on my thigh and lifted my leg. My moaning grew louder as he pulled my up to him with every thrust of his own and, for a moment, I was worried that Dastan might hear. But the thought quickly disappeared and I suddenly didn't care if Dastan heard us. Right then, I wanted all of Persia to know that I was making love to the man that I loved.

As time wore on, I knew I was about to lose control. It felt like the pressure was mounting, and when that pressure was released I couldn't contain myself. I let out a scream akin to that of a wild animal, feeling an immense wave of pleasure course through my body. I lay down on Bis's chest, feeling sad at the loss of his warmth as he pulled out of me. We both lay there for a while, just panting.

"Arisa?" Bis said quietly, stroking my head.

"Yes, Bis?" I replied.

"Marry me," he blurted out. Slowly, I looked up at him, his eyes shining brightly in the darkness.

"You didn't even have to ask," I replied, kissing him passionately.

After we made love again, we were both exhausted. We fell asleep in each other's arms, and the world seemed as if everything was finally right. Or so I thought…

**Ok, that's it. Please review and tell me what you think. Thanks for reading! **


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